The Pixel Watch 5 could carry forward its biggest weakness

Published Jul 23, 2026, 1:23 AM EDT I've been writing about Android since 2011, with a focus on device reviews, Samsung and Google Pixel hardware, and the latest happenings in the ecosystem. In my entire writing career, I've reviewed more than 75 Android phones. Carrying both a Samsung or Pixel flagship and an iPhone as a daily driver provides me with deep insight into how Android works and how it compares to iOS. I have been writing for Android Police since 2021, covering news, how-tos, and features. You can find my previous work on Neowin, AndroidBeat, Times of India, iPhoneHacks, MySmartPrice, and MakeUseOf. When not working, I tend to mindlessly scroll through X, play with new AI models, or go on long road trips. You can reach out to me on X or drop a mail at rajesh@androidpolice.com. Sign in to your Android Police account A weird leak has already confirmed that the upcoming Google Pixel Watch 5 will look the same as its predecessor. Turns out, it may even have the same specs as the Google Pixel Watch 4 with just one minor upgrade. A 9to5Google tipster spotted the Google Play Console listing for the Pixel Watch 5, revealing its alleged specs. Codenamed "godric," the watch will seemingly use the Qualcomm SW5100 platform. That's the same Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip that powers the Pixel Watch 2 and newer models. It features 4x Cortex-A53 CPU cores and an Adreno 702 GPU. For the Pixel Watch 4, Google upgraded the platform to add support for Satellite SOS connectivity and a faster Cortex-M55 co-processor. The co-processor details were not published in the Play Console listing, and it may get an upgrade for better AI performance. But overall, the Pixel Watch 5 will use the same Snapdragon platform as the Pixel Watch 2. So, don't expect any radical improvements in performance or battery life. Google does seemingly plan to bump the RAM on the Pixel Watch 5 to 3GB, up from 2GB on the Pixel Watch 4. That should help with Gemini Intelligence and other on-device AI features. It would also make the Pixel Watch among the few Android watches with more than 2GB of RAM. The DRAM and NAND flash memory crisis has forced manufacturers to cut back on memory and storage capacities on their devices. So, it's good to see Google going the other way and increasing the RAM on the Pixel Watch 5. That will come with a price hike, though, with rumors suggesting the next Pixel Watch will cost $50 more than the Pixel Watch 4. The Pixel Watch needs more than software optimizations For all the optimizations that Google has made to Wear OS, the Pixel Watch desperately needs a faster processor. Software optimizations can only take the watch so far, especially with the new AI features. Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2 lineup uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite platform, which features one Cortex-A78 CPU and four Cortex-A55 CPU cores. Qualcomm has paired these with an upgraded Adreno GPU that delivers a claimed 7x performance boost. Despite the powerful hardware, the new SoC promises longer battery life and faster charging speeds thanks to its 3nm process. The faster hardware should translate into smoother animations and better performance when using apps.